Metro Youth Network

(Luke 7:36-50)

³⁶Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. ³⁷When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, ³⁸and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

³⁹When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”

⁴⁰Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” he said.

⁴¹“Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,^[d] and the other fifty.⁴²Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

⁴³Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.”
“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.

⁴⁴Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. ⁴⁵You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. ⁴⁶You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. ⁴⁷Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”

⁴⁸Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

⁴⁹The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

⁵⁰Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

Almost a month ago now, I sat in a conference room in the the Georgia World Conference Center in Atlanta.  I was there for the National Youth Worker’s Convention, and was, at the moment, in a workshop on how to cultivate a faith in high school students that will last them through college.  It was a great seminar, really well done, and thoroughly prepared.  But to be honest, I didn’t remember a whole lot of what the presenter said (which is definitely why I took notes).  There was one thing, though, that I didn’t have to take any scrupulous notes one in order to remember.

We were talking about the idea of what the Gospel really is when you boil it down.  Our instructor turned it into a list of “4 G’s” – the Gospel is Good, Guilt, Grace, Gratitude.  It goes like this: God made us in His image, and He delights in us (Good); Our sin drives us away from Him, for He is holy (Guilt); God, through Jesus Christ, forgives us of our sin, restores us, and the Holy Spirit enables us to live the way we were created to live (Grace); Our lives then become about living to thank God through everything we do – not necessarily trying to manage our sin per se (Gratitude).

It was that last point that really hit home.  We live to thank Him.  We serve out of gratitude.  And that’s the beauty of service to God.  It’s not something you can do because you feel obligated; you’ll eventually get weary of that.  It’s not something you can do out of fear; perfect love casts out all fear.  Just as John wrote, we love because he first loved us.  It’s that simple.

See, the very reason why this “sinful woman” (who is indeed each one of us) could anoint Jesus’ feet with her tears and some perfume was because she new the forgiveness she had through Him.  The fact is, the reality of God’s forgiveness sets us free to love Him – and nothing else in the world can do that.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
(“It Is Well With My Soul”, Horatio G. Spafford)

“Dear children, let us not LOVE with words or tongue but with ACTIONS and in truth.” (1 John 3:18)

Still looking for the perfect gift, but tired of giving presents that seem to be forgotten in less than a week?  Or are you tired of giving into the endless consumerism that’s invaded Christmas?  Or, even still, are you tired of your gift giving not making much of an impact on your world?  Well, no matter what the case is, and no matter who you still have to buy for, Love In Action is a great choice.

Love In Action is a project of the Central Territory’s World Missions Bureau that provides necessary items to those in need overseas.  Costumers can log on to their website and buy items ranging from food, school uniforms, wheelchairs, crutches, mosquito nets, goats, chickens, pigs, diapers, rubber mats, and blankets.  These gifts are available for anywhere between $15.00-$50.00.  Make the right choice and let your Christmas gift count.

To find out more about Love In Action, or to buy a gift for someone in need, you can visit their website here.

For those of you who consider yourselves media buffs, or for those of you who wish you could, I present to you a resource for all people no matter what you do, or don’t know, about media.

It’s no secret that the Church could use some pointers about  how to effectively communicate and reach our world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Sometimes it’s excusable, while other instances seem to be straight up laughable.  Some legitimately have no idea where to begin in the realm of video, social media and the like.  Either way, it seems that we could all use a little schooling from the pros so that we can better carry out our mission.  It is in this vein that I present to you Collide Magazine (“Where media and the Church converge”).

Similar to other groups like Relevant Media Group, Collide’s purpose is definitely rooted in equipping the Church to be relevant to the culture around it.  The difference, however, is that while Relevant studies the intersection of faith, God and culture, Collide takes a different route into creating and giving a media tool-box of sorts that actually enables the Church to be on the front lines of media and communication.  From articles on why design matters in the Church, to how to fail at social media, you will also find pointers on the latest media resources as well as tech reviews, website solutions and more.  Bottom line: if you pick up a subscription to this magazine (only $16 for the bi-montly issue), you’re bound to find something to apply to your situation, no matter who you are.

Now, I’m sure there are a few that are skeptical of this media trend.  Is it really important?  Do we need all the latest bells and whistles?  I mean really?  Well, no.  Not really.  Scott McClean, Collide’s Editor, talked about this very idea of the limits of media in the latest issue.  A church in Dallas has recently started a fundraising campaign in order to build a few new buildings.  Their target goal is $130 million (that’s a lot of zeros).  And it got him thinking:

“The last thing I want to do is use this space to criticize this Dallas church…But in considering this issue, a thought came to mind: new buildings are good at solving problems posed by old building, but new buildings are bad at solving problems posed by something other than an old building.  In other words, a new building is great for solving problems such as cramped hallways, bad acoustics, lack of seating, or limited education space.  On the other hand, the best new building in the world won’t solve problems such as uncommitted leaders, unloving congregants, power-hungry leaders, a lack of emphasis on missions and service, or a bad reputation in the community. Period.

I think the same goes for media…Media is good a solving communication problems, but media isn’t good a solving problems unrelated to communication.  Visual media helps an artist or communicator impart meaning or an idea to his or her audience. Social media helps groups of people communicate with one another around shared interests, experiences, or proximity.  But media can’t fix underlying problems in an organization, leadership team, or church body.” (Collide Magazine, The Limits of Media, Issue 14, page 6).

So there you have it.  If you have communication difficulties at your church, then Collide Magazine comes highly recommended from this author.  If not, then you have a nice resource to pass along to those who do.

Visit Collide’s website here.

As promised, here are the 2009 CPS Christmas Assembly photos!  Just click on the photo to go to our Flickr set, and enjoy!  Just in case you’re wondering, it’s estimated that in two days time, we reach about 8,500 CPS students through these assemblies.  On top of that, the impact is just insane when you stop to think about it.  I know of one person who is heavily involved in the Metro Division who first heard about the Army through these assemblies.  Praise God!

Genesis 12:1-4
The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”

So Abram departed as the Lord had instructed, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.

“You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.

p.s. CPS Christmas Assembly photos to come later today!

Today marked the first of two days that the Metro Youth Department will be out doing Christmas Assemblies throughout CPS (Chicago Public Schools).  Ranging from the far south-side to the north side, 5 teams will travel to about 30 schools once it’s all said and done.  Sharing a short Christmas themed program entitled The Colors Of Christmas, we get to teach kids about peace, environmentalism, happiness, and love.  It’s an awesome way for kids and teachers to get introduced to The Salvation Army, and it’s a fantastic way for the Army to get involved with CPS at such a desperate time (not only because families are in need during the holiday season, but also because the rate of violence in Chicago continues to devastate this city).

My team has been carrying around a camera, so I’ll be sure to post some photos tomorrow for you to peak at when we’re done.  Keep us in your prayers.  Like I said, it’s a great opportunity, one we are most grateful to have.

Luke 3:7-15
When the crowds came to John for baptism, he said, “You brood of snakes! Who warned you to flee God’s coming wrath? Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones. Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.

John replied, “Don’t extort money or make false accusations. And be content with your pay.”

I recently moved to the north side of Chicago (and by recent, I mean this past September).  Along with the change of living arrangements also came the change of church/corps, and after seeking and praying, God confirmed that I should start attending the Irving Park Corps.  This next Sunday will be my first time leading worship there, and it’s been great fun to be a part of what God is doing.  The Scripture we’ll be focusing on this Sunday is the one above, and as I’ve been preparing myself for the weekend, God has been speaking to me about it quite a bit.

John the Baptist, the guy who was known for wearing camel hair and eating locusts and wild honey (and not to mention getting beheaded), speaks some serious truth here.  See, the mark of a true follower of Jesus is a changed life.  It’s not just a name that we bear, a necklace we wear, or a t-shirt that we sport.  Our lives should be living examples that we follow the risen Lord.  That’s why John says, “Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God.”

A Biblical term that is associated quite often with a changed life is “fruit.”  For instance, in the book of Matthew chapters 5-7, Jesus teaches quite extensively on how people are to live if they call themselves followers of God.  And at the very end, Jesus basically says that none of it matters unless you live it out:

15 “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. ¹⁶ You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. ¹⁹ So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.

21 “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.  (Matthew 7:1-21)

So there it is.  It’s not complicated or too mysterious to understand.  It’s about action, obedience, walking, serving, following, joining, opening, believing, and changing.  The cool thing, too, is that Jesus gives us a really good reason for following him.  If we read on in Matthew 7, it says:

24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. ²⁵ Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. ²⁶ But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. ²⁷ When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.” (Matthew 7:24-27)

May God give you grace as you continue to follow him and rearrange your life around his.